Cleaning Produce Washing Equipment: Root Barrel Washer Checklist
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Months of research was conducted on a root barrel washer to determine the best way to clean the equipment given that it was not designed to be easily taken apart and cleaned. Hard-to-reach places were identified through the tracking of vegetable matter and debris dispersed within the barrel washer during use. An acceptable level of cleanliness completed in a reasonable amount of time was identified. The equipment cleanliness was based on visual criteria only; further investigation of the microbial level is still required.
To the best of our efforts, areas of critical cleaning are identified in this checklist as well as all other sections necessary to clean.
![Inside pages - Root Barrel Washer Checklist Inside pages - Root Barrel Washer Checklist](https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/images/submission/808c4ad4e55dc3ff49a93405e9753eea.jpeg)
Additional photos and instructions on cleaning a root barrel washer can be found in the presentation below.
Cleaning Produce Washing Equipment: Root Barrel Washer Checklist (pdf; 2389KB)
Presentation: Cleaning a Root Barrel Washer (pdf; 1476KB)
![more crops](images/more_crops_left_sm.gif)
![more crops](images/more_crops_right_sm,.gif)
Upcoming Events
Niagara Region Vegetable Meeting
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August 14, 2024
Clarence Center, NY
We'll start this meeting off at Root Down Farm to hear late season disease management updates in peppers and cole crops, plus current best management practices to limit fungicide resistance. Potato variety recommendations and disease control questions in potatoes will be addressed.
Then we'll head to Kreher's beet field to view and discuss alternative weed control technologies. The beet field is an on-farm demonstration of various flame weeding protocols in comparison with stacked tool cultivation equipment. One or two weeding robots will be on-hand for live demonstrations and discussion of the technology's current abilities and future potential. We'll also cover industry updates and a review of late summer disease management in squash.
2.0 DEC credits will be available in categories 23, 1a, and 10.
2024 Chipping Potato Twilight Meeting
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August 20, 2024
Dansville, NY
Join us for a brief, on-farm meeting including insect pest updates and viewing of the chipping potato variety trial. 1.0 DEC credits in categories 10, 1a, and 23 will be offered. Dinner follows!